Critical
by FudgeBrownie
Summary: -Cowrite with DMBfan- Sarah and Jake are in serious accidents in a short period of time and the Bakers try to help them get through it.
1. Throat Pops

**(Revenge)  
**"Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged."  
-Samuel Johnson

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**First off, we have ten OC characters in this story. They are mentioned (of course) throughout the story. Below they are listed:**

**Chase Martin  
Age: 35  
Occupation: Detective on Chicago Vice Squad  
Personal life: single father and widower  
Spouse: Karen, wife (deceased)  
Children: Son, Cole, age 11**

**Sonny Vincent  
Age: 31  
Occupation: Detective on Chicago Vice Squad  
Personal life: Widower and single father  
Spouse: Erica (deceased)  
Children: Son, Zach, age 9**

**Jim Carson  
Age: 40  
Occupation: Vice captain  
Personal life: Widower and single father  
Spouse: Annie (deceased)  
Children: Daughter, Emma, age 12; Son, Ryan, age 10 (deceased)**

**April Holt  
Age: 35  
Occupation: Prosecuting Attorney  
Personal life: Widow and Single Mother  
Spouse: John, (deceased)  
Children: Son, Connor, age 11**

**Disclaimer: We don't own anything.**

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Sarah's POV

"Jake, I really need to pee, could you hurry up and puke already?" I smirked a little, knowing that, in his sickened state, Jake was too weak to fire off a comeback.

I sighed and leaned my head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. Jake had the stomach flu, so, along with throwing up three or six times a day (depending on if he ate or not) he also succeded in getting babied and waited on by everybody in the house. Not to say I don't care about him, I'd just as willingly help him out, but I really needed to go to the bathroom.

He retched into the toilet, and I wrinkled up my nose in disgust. I hated the sound of people barfing, it just sounded so un-natural. I heard him moaning, and kicked the door again so that he'd open up. The bathroom downstairs was broken, and the plumber didn't come until tomorrow.

Jake made his way out of the bathroom, and I couldn't help but be sympathetic. He looked so helpless... his face was pale and his eyes had red underneath them. Whenever he was sick, he looked like he was about to cry, or something. I patted him on the back, and he gave me a small smile in return.

"Aww, Jake, couldn't you have flushed?"

----------

I wasn't used to it being so quiet in the house. Most of my sibling were away at summer camp, except for Charlie, Nora, Me, Jake, Mark, and Mike. 

Half of the family was gone, and since Nigel, Kyle, Jessica, and Kim were gone, that left a really, eerily quiet house. I would've been at lacrosse camp, but I was banned because I hit two girls in the back of the legs, and one of them fell and broke their wrist. I don't have any regrets...It's a tough sport and they were in my way.

Mom, however, saw it fit to ground me from practically everything, from hanging out with my friends to watching TV. So I was stuck inside, with nothing to do but read, or play with Mike (or Mark) which I wouldn't even dream of doing. I would've done something with Jake, but he saw it convienient to get sick.

"Sarah, is Jake okay? I heard him throwing up..." Mom gave me a worried stare, and I shook my head in disbelief.

"Mom, he's thrown up about fifty other times, he's fine." I stopped and thought about how abnormal what I'd just said sounded.

"Could you go check on him, I have to take Mike to the park." Mom was putting on her shoes and fumbling with her purse while she tried doing so. I could tell she was in a rush, because Mike was yelling for her to hurry up.

"Why?"

"Because he's playing soccer with some of his friends." Mom gave me a small smile and combed through my bangs with her fingernails. I gave her and irritated look, and she laughed. "I'll be back in twenty minutes or so. Take care of Jake if he needs anything, or have Charlie do it."

"Okay, isn't Nora coming over later?" I asked before she left.

"Yeah, she's staying her for a couple of weeks, her apartment is getting remodled and plus she wants to see you kids...Mike, hold on!" She finished as Mike yelled for her again. "Bye, honey."

"Bye, Mom."

I sighed and trudged up the stairs to check on Jake. I hoped I wouldn't get sick, because then my summer would go from bad, to worse. Jake's door was opened just a crack, and I could hear the sound of him coughing mixed with the voices of Family Guy on TV. I stepped in quietly, and stepped over a few empty tissues boxes and tissues to get to his bed.

He looked as if he was trying to sleep, and he had beads of sweat on his forehead, from his fever.

"Hey, Jake," I said softly, brushing his hair out of his eyes and adjusting his pillow for him. I felt really bad for him, because I knew how excited he'd been for sumer, and how miserable he was right now.

He blinked a few times and stared up at me. He shifted his position so that he was lying on his back, and let out a small moan before lapsing into another coughing fit. I frowned a little, wishing that I coud somehow help him. All I could do was comfort him, and try to be as nice as possible.

"Hi, Sarah," Jake's voice was really raspy, and almost didn't sound like him at all.

"Are you okay?" I handed him the box of Kleenex, and he blew his nose a few times before giving me his smartass answer of 'What do you think?' I would've said something nasty in return, but I didn't have the heart, and just then I'd heard the doorbell ring. "I'll be right back."

I ran down the stairs in order to get it, and popped open the blinds to see who it was. Cole Martin's face was so close to the glass that I jumped in surprise, while he cracked up at my reaction. I yanked open the door in anger and smacked him really hard in the arm.

"Jake's sick," I frowned at him as he stopped laughing and stared at me. I bit my lip a little as I looked into his eyes. Of course, I'd never admit it, but I do kind of like him. The way his shaggy blonde hair fell into his big, brown eyes was almost hypnotizing, and his lips were so full that he had all the girls after him. Including me. But never, in a million years, would I let him know that. Because, on the contrary to his looks, he can be a real dick, and he's such a smartass that he's been suspended from school three times that year, and has had the most detentions out of anyone.

"Oh, really? I had no idea." He pushed past me and into the house but I grabbed the back of his plain black t-shirt and stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?" I said, pulling him back. "I never said you could come in!"

He whirled around and rolled his eyes at me, the scar next to his right eye becoming more noticeable as he did. I swear, every week Cole has a new injury, whether it's from skateboarding or biking or just pure unlukiness. It's not that he's a klutz, either, because he's got better balance than I do, but since he's so reckless... Well, let's just put it this way: He's been in five surgeries for injuries, not counting losing his appendix and tonsils, gotten stitches eight times, and has chipped more baby teeth than I'd thought even possible before!

"I think I'm going in your house," Then he pulled free of my grip and waltzed inside like he owned the place. Of course, since he's Jake's best friend, I think he might know it better than Jessica and Kim even do.

I shook my head and shut the door behind us. "He's in his room."

"Who is it?" Charlie said from the top of the stairs.

"Just Cole," I replied.

"Oh, hey Cole. What's up?" Charlie liked Cole, and treated him like a little brother, for reasons I don't know.

"Nothing, what are you doing?" Cole asked.

"I have to do some summer project, so I'm getting a head start before I do anything else all summer." Charlie put a finger-gun to his head and pretended to shoot himself. "Senior year is going to be really hard."

"I wouldn't know, but that's pretty shitty of your teachers." Cole replied, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah, that's high school..." Charlie disappeared back into his room, and Cole and I made our way up to Jake's room (which must have been the tenth time for me today). I hoped Cole wouldn't disturb Jake if he was sleeping, but then I remembered that it was Cole I was talking about.

"Hey, Jake my budy!" Cole jumped on Jake's bed and sat on the edge of it. "What's up, how's life, feeling down in the dirt?"

Jake groaned in response and sat up. "What do you want?"

"I tried to stop him, but you know Cole, he's just like his Dad." I smirked, thinking of Cole's Dad, Chase Martin. He's a detective for the Chicago PD. He works for something called the Vice Squad with his partner, Sonny Vincent. Cole says it's very cool what they do...but he thinks everything that involves violence is "cool".

"Ughh," Jake shook his head a little. He stopped and stared at Cole a seconds, before finally realizing that he was on his bed. "Get off!"

Jake pushed him a little, but Cole hardly looked fazed. After all you can't expect a sick person to actually have enough strength to push somebody.

"Wow, you're pretty bad off. When do you think you'll get better, the skate park sucks without you and me tearing it up!" Cole laughed, and Jake grinned.

"I don't know, probably never. This sucks so bad, man, the sun's out every day and I'm stuck in here puking my guts out because my immune system blows." Jake yawned a little and shook his hair out of his eyes.

"It doesn't blow, Jake, you hardly ever get sick, and when you do you whine all the time about it!" I just had to add that, because it was one hundred percent true.

"Shut up Sarah." Jake threw an empty tissue box at me, and missed by about a foot and a half.

"Bite me!" I retorted, kicking the box out of the way.

"I would, but I might puke on you instead..."

"Gross, dude!" Cole and Jake cracked up, and I pursed my lips in annoyance.

'_Your tears don't fall, they crash around me, her conscience calls, the guilty to come-_' Cole's cell phone rang, and he answered it.

"Hello? ...Yeah Dad...I told you I was going to Jake's!...Well I don't want...Fine, bye." Cole gritted his teeth in rage and shut his phone.

"Gotta go, my Dad's being an ass again."

"What'd he say?" I said, loudly, so that he could hear me over Jake's coughing.

"He told me that he's going out so I have to come home because I don't have a key to get back in when he's gone, blah, blah, blah." Cole shrugged at stood up, stretching. "Well, get better soon, Jake, see ya, Sarah."

"Bye Cole." Jake and I said in unison.

"You know, he'd probably go for you, not that I like the idea..." Jake rasped as I watched Cole leave.

"What?" I asked, turning to face him with a suspicious glare.

"It's obvious you like him, I'm not stupid Sarah, I know you," Jake scratched at his hair and laid back down again, as if what he'd said was the most obvious thing in the world to him, and no big deal at all.

"No I don't!" My eyes got wide, and he snickered. I stared at him a moment, then gave up pretending. "If you tell anyone, I'll kick you in the balls so hard you'll never have kids!" I whisper-yelled, viciously.

Jake held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I cross my heart." Jake traced and invisible X with his finger over his chest, and I heaved a sigh of relief. "God, my throat hurts..." He muttered, trying to clear it but unable to make his voice sound any less raspy and sick.

"Want me to go out and get you some of those throat lollipop things?" I offered, feeling sorry for him (yet again).

"Thanks, Sarah, that'd be great." He gave me a half-smile, and I flashed him a grin before shutting the door softly behind me.

I went into my room to grab my socks and gym shoes, then went into the garage to get my bike. The nearest thing to my house was a small drugstore about six or seven blocks away. I would've asked Charlie to drive me, but I knew he was busy. I let him know where I was going before I left, and he only murmered a response because he was so into what he was typing on the computer.

"Better not be more than six bucks," I muttered to myself, before shoving the six singles into my pocket and mounting my bike.

It was fairly hot out that day, but I liked getting out of the house, since being grounded meant I had more restrictions than I could count on my fingers. At least Mom wouldn't get mad at me for going out to take care of Jake. Hell, maybe she'd even let me off a day early.

I leaned my bike against the wall on the side of the store, not bothering to use my bike lock since I knew this would be a quick, in-and-out job. I waved hi to Greg, the man behind the counter, and he smiled back at me. Since I go to the store so much, we knew each other fairly well.

I couldn't see too much to choose from for sore throats. It was either demented teddy bears, or just regular round lollipops. I chose the second, because I thought the teddy bears were a little too creepy for my liking, let alone Jake's. The sign said $4.25, and I did a little cheer inside of my head. It would have been a waste of time if I didn't have enough cash.

As I was heading up to the counter, a man walked into the store, with a creepy mask on so that I couldn't see his face. He was holding a gun, and walked straight up to the counter and held it up to Greg's head. I widened my eyes, and froze up, unable to move a muscle.

"Give me all your money!" The man spat, before turning to me and saying, "Don't try anything funny, either!"

I nodded, eyes wide, as my heart started to pump faster, and my breathing quickened. Oh, no, not now! Not here... A panic attack. I only have them in severe situations, and usually my inhaler calms me down, but I didn't have it with me. I fell to my knees and choked for air, feeling dizzy and light-headed. As soon as I fell to my knees I saw the man turn around, and in his own state of panic, and confusion as to what I was doing...

Then came the: _bang_!

I collapsed, the scream tearing out of my throat as I clutched my stomach. The tears ran down my face, and I was aware of the man cursing and running out of the store, aware of Greg running towards me, screaming my name...aware of the searing, unbearable pain, and I saw the blood...everywhere...

After that...nothing.

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**Review?**


	2. Gut Feeling

**Author's Note: It's kind of long, but we finally finished it, thank god. Please review!**

Disclaimer: Only our OC's.

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Chase's POV

I could hear sirens responding to a call far off in the city. It never ended. After eight years on Vice I still wasn't used to it. The constant violence and danger. That's why I hated for Cole to be wandering around when I worked late. I tried not to be overprotective. I'm really getting better. But sometimes the image of my late wife's cold, lifeless body drifts up from the darkest reaches of my mind and I want to hold Cole close and isolate him from the world. He's all I have left. If I lose him… I jumped as the front door slammed shut. He was home. I heard the TV click on and him plop down on the couch.

No, hey dad, how you doing? Typical.

I walked into the TV room and stood next to the TV. He sighed as he muted whatever he was watching.

"Yes, dad," he asked.

"What do you want for dinner?" I asked.

"Just leave money for a pizza," replied Cole as he continued to watch the muted show. He'd been more moody then usual lately. Two weeks earlier he had taken a nasty fall at the skate park and busted up his face pretty bad. He had required surgery on his nose and chin and four stitches above his right eye. Surgery number five and stitches set eight. He healed quickly so the hospital stay was short but the bill was just screaming debt at me.

"Alright. Lock the doors when I leave. I'll be home late," I ordered. Cole nodded. I sighed and sat down next to him for a second.

"You OK?" I asked. Cole turned towards me. He looked just liked his mother. The eyes, the hair, the nose, the lips. I couldn't look at Cole without thinking of Karen.

"I'm fine, Dad. Surgery was two weeks ago. I'm better now," replied Cole. I nodded and stood up. I kissed the top of his head and then left after handing him some pizza money.

Cole locked the door behind me and I felt myself calm down a little. Now I could focus on work.

Dr. John Fenton's POV

The girl was already on the table when I walked in. Her lips were wrapped around some gauze and her eyes were closed tightly. She was all prepped. Nurses drapped a sheet over her as I covered her abdomen in disinfectant. The bullet had hit her stomach just a few inches near her belly button. That wasn't good. It was no doubt in her intestines. I took a deep breath and began the surgery.

Her life was in my hands.

Jake's POV

The news had come as a big shot. Mom came running into my room, totally freaked out. Sarah had been shot during a robbery. She had been shot because she was taking care of _me_. I knew I shouldn't feel guilty but I did anyway. Sarah had been shot because of me. If I hadn't sent her to that store she would be fine…I mean, what if she _died_?!

It felt like hours before we made it to the hospital. I felt kind of woozy so Charlie piggy backed me inside. Mom was desperate. We followed her as she raced towards the surgery ward. God I hate the hospital. We are here a lot. With a family of 14, injuries happen a lot. I hold the record of most times in surgery. Four. For some reason that makes me proud.

Sarah has a close second now with three. But no one has ever had an injury as severe as this.

We found out that Sarah's surgery was well under way. She had a good surgeon operation on her. A Dr, Fenton. The surgery wouldn't be over for a while. We got comfortable in a private waiting room. Mom made a makeshift bed for me so I could lie down. My stomach was doing flip-flops.

Charlie, Mark, and Mike, who had insisted on coming occupied themselves with a game of cards. All of them were safe from getting sick because of me. They had all already had the flu recently and on top of that had received flu vaccine shots when I got sick. Mom was seemingly immune to whatever I threw at her. I fell into a troubled sleep as I thought of Sarah.

Chase's POV

The station was eerily quiet when I showed up for work. My partner, Sonny Vincent, was finishing up some paperwork. He had about ten cans of Starbucks Espresso drinks strewn all over his desk. He gulped down another one and crushed the can on his hand.

"Getting ready for a busy night?" I asked as I sat down at my desk. Sonny nodded as he dropped the crushed can in the trash.

"I got about a month's worth of paperwork to take care of. Then I have some surveillance notes to go over. God, sometimes I hate this job," replied Sonny as he opened up another can.

"Any new leads in the Mendoza case?" I asked as I pulled out some files from my desk. Some mid level drug dealer had recently been found shot to death in a back alley. As much as I detested scumbag drug dealers, they couldn't be allowed to turn Chicago into a war zone.

"Nope. No one who was brought in is talking," replied Sonny.

"And they won't either. Who gives a rats ass about Juan Mendoza?" I asked. Sonny shrugged.

"Carson says the mayor does as does the chief," replied Sonny.

"That doesn't mean we have to waste our time. There's more important things to do they catch whoever murdered a two bit drug dealer," I groaned. Sometimes this job doesn't make sense.

Sonny and I looked up as Jim Carson, our lieutenant, poked his head out of his office. "Chase, I need to speak with you," exclaimed Jim. Jim's a good guy. He's only forty so he's not this hard headed veteran cop who thinks he's better then anyone else. Jim still dives into whatever action is going on as often as he can.

"Sure thing," I said as I stood up and followed Jim into his office. Jim had been in charge of vice for a little over a year. He had taken the job over a senior detective promotion in homicide. Being the head lieutenant of Vice actually gave him more free time then working homicide. Go figure.

I sat down in the single chair that was in front of Jim's desk. Right behind the large framed picture of his daughter, Emma. Right next to hat picture was a picture of Jim's late wife and son. The two of them had been gunned down during a gas station hold up. A random act of violence that had changed Jim's life forever.

"We just got a call about a shooting at a drug store." Jim's news snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Where?" I asked, now fully back into reality.

"Some small one on Birch Lane. The victim is a young girl. About twelve-years-old," explained Jim. Birch Lane? That was near the Baker's house. Oh God.

"What's the victim's name?" I asked.

"Sarah Baker," replied Jim without hesitation. Shit. I groaned.

"You know her?" asked Jim. I nodded.

"She's a friend of Cole's," I replied. Jim nodded.

"If you don't want this," he began. I shook my head.

"I'll be fine. I should call Cole and let him know," I replied. Jim nodded.

"You and Sonny get over to that drug store as soon as possible," ordered Jim.

"Of course. How is Sarah?" I asked.

"Last I heard she was in surgery," replied Jim. Ah, double shit.

Cole's POV

I openly sighed into the receiver of the phone, annoyed at how the lady was partially ignoring me to take care of another pizza order. I tried yet again, but she cut me off by saying 'Hold on a moment, hon.' In her annoying southern accent.

"Look, lady, I just want a medium cheese pizza, can't you write it down then hang up the phone and take care of whatever the hell you're doing?" My voice rose, and she reluctantly took my order and my address. I slammed down the phone and leaned back into the soft cushions of the couch.

"Stupid pizza lady…"

I couldn't help it, I really couldn't. It's not like I have a temper, but I'm just…easily annoyed. Since my Mom died, I guess I never really had someone around to tell me what I can and can't do. My Dad, well, he tries, he really does, but with his job he can't really be here all the time for me. He has to leave me home alone a lot, and since he doesn't really watch his language around me (or care if I cuss) I picked up the habit. I don't like giving off the "punk" vibe, because I hate when people look at me and think I'm a nuisance or problem… the way they'll look at me, like they're disappointed with me. It sucked.

That's why I try so hard to get my Dad's attention. When he tells me 'good job' or something, and I know it sounds cheesy, but I actually feel like I mean something to him, other than the son that he has to take care of. Dad's never been good with the heart-to-hearts, so I can't really let him know how I feel about him going out all the time. I want him to know, but I think he'll get mad or something.

Another thirty minutes went by as I watched some show on MTV, and then the doorbell rang. I checked through the blinds and saw a man holding a pizza box. I opened it and handed him the money. He counted it, and then turned around to walk away.

"Whoa, you think I'd give you a ten dollar tip? Give me seven bucks back!" I glared at him and he reluctantly handed it over.

"Sorry, I didn't know—" He started, but I cut him off.

"On second thought, give me another buck back." I grabbed the dollar and slammed the door. Note to self: Never order from that pizza place again. Man, it sucks when people try to rip you off because you're a kid. It's like they think we're stupid!

The phone rang as I was biting into my second slice of pizza. It was actually pretty good, but the service was still crap. I wiped my hand on the box and picked it up.

"Hello?" I answered, taking another bite.

"Hey, Cole, buddy, you might want to sit down for what I'm about to tell you," Dad's voice said shakily, through the receiver. I knew something was up, but I couldn't refrain from putting in a little sarcasm.

"What, you think I'd actually be standing? Dad, you know me!" I laughed a little, and when he didn't even scoff at me, I knew something really big was going down. Whatever it is, it couldn't involve me, right? Or Dad?

"You're friend Sarah was shot, Cole. She's in surgery right now, critical condition…she might not make it."

What? No, that was impossible…right? I felt the pizza slice slide from my hand and onto the floor, but I didn't care. I sat up straight, panic setting in. Not Sarah…she's like a sister to me…maybe, well, a little more than that. She couldn't die, she was way too young!

I hung up the phone and put on my shoes, running out the front door at full speed towards the Baker's house. The lights were all off, but I still slammed on the door until my fists hurt. They were probably at the hospital. Oh god, Sarah…

"Shit, shit, shit, SHIT! No, not Sarah…" I slammed on the door one last time. "Damn it!"

I sprinted back to my house and picked up the phone. I dialed my Dad's number and urged him to pick up out loud. He finally answered, and it took me a few seconds to catch my breath.

"Dad, you gotta pick me up!" I shouted, realizing just now that my whole body was shaking.

"Cole, I can't, I'm really busy and—"

"I have to see her! I need to…" I interrupted, clenching and unclenching my fists in frustration. I wished I was seventeen so that I could drive down there myself, instead of having to rely on my Dad, who would probably say no.

"Maybe I could send down a friend of mine to pick you up, but you have to promise you won't be any trouble at all…" Dad sighed, and I could hear a lot of noise and people talking on his end. I could hear Sonny talking to someone.

"Okay, okay…tell them to hurry, though!"

"Sarah's in surgery, you couldn't see her even if you wanted to!"

"I just…wanna be close to the Bakers, okay?"

"I'm sorry Cole, okay?"

"Whatever." I hung up and paced the room.

Whoever shot Sarah, I hoped, would get the electric chair, and die slowly and painfully. I couldn't believe a man would want to shoot her. She'd never done anything wrong! She's just a kid like me and Jake… She didn't deserve this!

Chase's POV

The drug store was crawling with cops when Sonny and I showed up. The owner was being questioned by a friend of mine from homicide, Angie Hammond. Angie waved Sonny and I over. Sonny excused himself to go have a look inside.

"What do we got, Angie?" I asked.

"Shooter was wearing a ski mask. The girl made a sudden move and the shooter got nervous. He fled without stealing anything," explained Angie. I nodded as I headed inside. There was blood all over the floor. Sarah's blood. Poor girl.

As I looked around the store, something didn't feel right. I don't know why but I felt like this case was going to get hard to deal with it. It was a strange gut feeling I had. And bad things happened when I had gut feelings.

Cole's POV

Dad had sent a fellow vice cop, Paul Gorman, to pick me up. Paul was a good guy and one of the funniest and nicest guys I knew. He was also six foot seven and weighed two-hundred and ninety pounds. The guy was a machine. He used to play college football but a bum knee ruined his football dreams. So now he busted down doors and fought crime as a vice cop.

Paul was driving at break neck speed. Every vice cop drove like this. Old habit. I've never been late for school.

"How much longer, Paul?" I asked, anxiously tapping my fingers against my knee.

"Another two miles," answered Paul as he made a sharp turn. I gripped the armrest tightly so I wasn't slammed into the door.

"Sorry," apologized Paul as he made another sharp turn.

"Damn it, Paul, I want to get there I one piece," I snapped.

"Sorry. Old habit," replied Paul as he made yet another sharp turn. I gave up arguing. I just wanted to get to the hospital as fast as possible. Sarah has always been there for me whenever I got hurt. Always.

Even when Jake accidentally hurt me this past spring…

(flashback)

"_Throw it over here!" Sarah called lazily, waving her arms in the air. It was an unusually hot day for the end of April, but Jake, Sarah, and me had no choice but to play outside…there was nothing to do inside except chores and video games. _

_Believe me, Jake and I had played video games for six hours straight yesterday, when we got a new video game for Playstation 2, and when we tried to get up we couldn't see straight and we fell over because we didn't know which was up or down was. It was pretty scary, but it only lasted twenty seconds before we were normal again. After that, staying inside was not an option. _

_I tossed the baseball up in the air and caught it again, taunting Sarah with it. I laughed when she looked like she was going to kill me, and then threw it to her. She snatched it out of the air and threw it to Jake, who was busy giving a lady who was walking her child (on a leash) a weird expression. It hit him in the side and he looked over to me with wide eyes. _

"_What?" I asked, laughing along with Sarah. _

_I guess he thought I threw it, because he stood up and whipped the ball at me, and I had to duck to avoid it. I heard the window to the Baker's kitchen crack above me, and suddenly I was showered with glass as the ball sailed through. _

"_Aww, crap!" Jake yelled, running over to me with Sarah right next to him. _

_I looked down at my stomach, eyes wide. A few shards of glass had burrowed themselves into my stomach, and it hurt like crazy. I winced, the pain just hitting me. I scooted back so that I was leaning up against the house, not caring that I was sitting on top of glass. _

"_Cole, are you okay?" Sarah crouched down beside me, and I heard glass cracking and moving under her sneakers. _

"_Do I look like I'm okay?" I snapped, and she frowned a little, more in concern than anger._

"_Cole that looks really nasty…" Sarah muttered, gently pushing her arms away to see. She grimaced, and then yelled, "Mom! Mom get out here NOW!" _

"_No, I can get it out!" I protested, defiantly not wanting to go to the hospital over spring break again. I grasped the largest piece and tugged. Big mistake. Pain shot up my stomach and I screamed in agony. "Ow, ow, ow," I whimpered, as blood flowed over my hands. _

"_Cole, you moron!" Jake shouted, but I could tell he was just scared. _

"_Shh, Cole, it's okay…" Sarah slid her hand into mine, and I relaxed, smiling weakly at her. _

"_What, what is it?" Kate ran out with my Dad close behind her. They were good friends, so since Dad had a day off work today, he decided to spend the day with the Baker parents. _

"_Cole got glass in his stomach!" Sarah shrieked, and they crouched down beside me. _

"_How did this happen?" Dad asked, looking at Sarah since she was closest to me. _

"_Jake threw the ball at Cole because he thought Cole hit him with it, but it was really me, and—" Sarah started, but Jake interrupted her._

"_I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" His voice got quieter with every 'sorry.'_

"_He tried to pull it out, though…" Sarah pointed to the glass shard that was the bloodiest._

_I think I even saw my Dad wince, which was rare for him. I tried to get up and felt some glass dig into my palms, so I stopped. Dad put his arms under me and gently lifted me up. I whimpered and refused to let go of my stomach. _

"_Cole, you're pushing the glass in further!" Dad said, trying to pry my hands away. _

"_No, it hurts!" I didn't care how stupid I sounded, I couldn't let go. I don't know why…whenever something hurts; you want to just, well, hold it. And I felt like I was making it better, which probably wasn't true. _

"_You're making it worse…" Sarah was walking right beside my Dad, while Jake was still with Kate, probably too shocked to do anything else. _

_I let my hands slide off my stomach and around my Dad's neck as he carried me to the car. He set me down in the backseat, so I was lying down, and got into the driver's side. I saw Sarah open the car door and get into the backseat with me. I looked at her in confusion, and my Dad looked back at her._

"_Sarah, I don't know if you should come," He said sternly._

"_Let her stay…" I rasped, and Dad sighed before backing out of the driveway._

"_Sarah Lynn Baker!" Kate shouted, following the car._

"_I'm going!" Sarah shouted, and Dad drove away without another word. _

_Sarah rested my head on the lap, and made sure I didn't fall off the seat after every sharp turn my Dad made. My Dad works for vice, so he knows the streets really well and could get me to the hospital really fast. _

_I heard a police siren following our car, and I moaned in frustration and pain. I couldn't concentrate on anything but the shooting pain in my stomach, so I just closed my eyes tightly and tried to picture something other than my stomach. When that didn't work, I just stared up at the ceiling._

"_Chase!" Sarah shrieked as Dad slammed onto the brakes. _

_The cop strutted up to the car and my Dad rolled down the window. He practically shoved the badge in the cop's face, and sped off before the officer could say anything else. I almost fell off the seat, and pushed my feet on the car door to partly steady myself, while Sarah held my head in place. _

_I could tell Dad was just acting this was because he was so worried about me, but I could tell Dad was just acting this was because he __was so worried about me, but I didn't like how he was __driving with Sarah in the car. I groaned loudly, __trying to make him stop, but it was hopeless, he just __kept speeding along. I sighed a little and tried to __focus on Sarah's face as she looked down at me, __concerned._

"_The turn, Chase you're going to miss it!" Sarah said __loudly, and Dad swerved into the parking lot, parking __near the front and hopping out of the car._

"_Sorry, Sarah, I'm just a little worried," Dad picked __me up, as gently as he could, and Sarah slid out as __well._

"_That's okay. My Mom and Dad drive minivans…I like __going fats once and a while." She flashed my Dad a __grin, and he gave her a small smile as he practically __sprinted to the entrance._

_As we entered the hospital, I closed my eyes tightly __at the bright lights. I hated hospitals, no matter how __many times I go to one. They smell weird and they're __too bright and unfamiliar, and dreary. It's like you __can feel sadness clinging to the walls or something._

_Dad marched up to the counter and as soon as the nurse __saw me she picked up the phone and called for a __stretcher. I opened my eyes and glanced over at Sarah. __She looked pretty nervous, but she wasn't expressing __it in any way other than tugging at her pigtails. My __Dad kept fidgeting in impatience, which hurt my __stomach, but I didn't say anything._

_The stretcher came and Dad placed me on it before it __even came to a stop. They wheeled me away, and Sarah __went to follow, but Dad put and arm out to stop her. __Now I only had my stomach to focus on, and I had to __grip the sides of the stretcher so as not to grab at __the glass and tear it out myself._

_I got to a room where there were a couple of doctors. __They cut off my shirt and inspected my injuries, then __discussed something about surgery. I sighed quietly, __not wanting to go into another surgery. I'd have to __wake up and go through the pain all over again, only __in a bed with some IV shoved in my arm._

_The doctors wheeled me into the OR and they held a gas __mask over my mouth, telling me to count backwards from __a hundred. I didn't bother, I just waited for the __blackness to come._

_--_

_Pain. When I woke up, that was all I felt. My stomach __was on fire, and it hurt so bad that I felt like __screaming. There was something in my mouth and throat, __and I felt like ripping out whatever it was. It felt __so unnatural and uncomfortable. I blinked open my eyes __and lifted my arm weakly to feel at my mouth._

_Something hard and plastic. __A tube! But that meant… The memories of baseball and __Sarah and the surgery flooded back to me, and I __looked around the hospital room. Dad was right beside __my bed, his hand on my left hand and his eyes on the __TV, which was practically muted. I moved my hand a __little and his attention went from the TV to his son._

"_Cole, hey buddy how are you?" Dad brushed my hair out __of my eyes for me._

_I murmured a response, finding it hard to talk with __the tube in my mouth._

"_Sorry. The surgery went well. Sarah's out in the __waiting room with Kate and Jake, if you want to see __them," Dad said._

_I nodded, and he stood up to go get them. I felt __gingerly at my stomach and could tell there were __bandages there. The door opened again and Jake and __Sarah walked in, staring at me with a mixture of __concern and amazement. Dad didn't come in after them, __so I assumed he was talking to Kate._

"_Chase said Cole can't talk, so don't bug him," Sarah __said to Jake, who lip-mocked her and rolled his eyes._

_I laughed a little then stopped because it hurt. _

"_I'm really sorry that I threw the ball at you…I __thought you threw it at me and I didn't mean to hurt __you that badly," Jake inspected the tube in my mouth, __looking a little disgusted, yet strangely fascinated._

_I nodded in response, and Sarah said, "My Mom brought __Jake over, like, an hour after you went into surgery. __Your Dad was telling me about car chases and stuff, it __was really cool." Sarah smiled at me, and I flashed a __thumbs up, wishing I could grin._

"_How does it feel?" Jake was talking about the tube, I __was sure._

_I rolled my eyes in response, and he got the picture._

_I wished I could say so many things. Like, thanking __Sarah for being there for me, and give Jake a hard __time for throwing the baseball, just to mess with his __head. But right then I was perfectly fine with them __talking to me, because who wouldn't' want their two __best friends there to make everything seem better than __it is?_

(end flashback)

Sarah and Jake have always been such good friends... What if she died? We'd never see her again, Jake wouldn't be the same… hell, _I_ wouldn't be the same! Sarah being murdered? An innocent twelve year old? Who would do that? I don't know what I'll do if Sarah dies. I don't know what any of us will do…

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**Review?**


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